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On the Main Stage for Prescott Park Arts Festival's 2008 Season:
Disney's Beauty and the Beast
February 5, 2008
(Portsmouth, NH) Prescott Park Arts Festival, the Seacoast's only
outdoor theatre, announced today that Beauty and the Beast has been
selected as its 2008 Main Stage production. The play will run Thursday
through Sunday evenings for eight weeks beginning the on June 21.
Under the leadership of Executive Director Ben Anderson, the Festival
is preparing its 34th summer season of live theatre, music, and
dance performances and fine art in historic Prescott Park. A nonprofit
organization supported by community donations and business sponsorships,
Prescott Park Arts Festival has been presenting a multi-disciplinary
summer program since 1974 with no fixed admission. Because of this,
many enjoy their first experience with live performance in Prescott
Park and come back year after year to enjoy the magic of outdoor
theatre with friends and family.
"Prescott Park Arts Festival has long become one of those traditions
that the Seacoast community truly appreciates," says Ben Anderson,
"Ever since the Fall, we've been receiving phone calls from
excited people curious to know what's in store for next season."
Based on the Academy Award winning animated feature, the stage version
of Disney's Beauty and the Beast includes all of the wonderful songs
from the film, written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman,
the team responsible for Little Shop of Horrors, plus new songs
written especially for the Broadway version. The musical ran on
Broadway for 5,464 performances between 1994 and 2007, becoming
Broadway's sixth-longest running production.
The audience will be transported to a lovely French provincial town
where the beautiful Belle offers herself as a prisoner to the Beast
to save her father, and learns that people are not always as they
appear to be. A number of characters are half-human, half household
items, such as Mrs. Potts, the teapot, and Lumiere, a candelabra.
Music will be familiar to fans of the Disney movie, with songs including
"Home" and "Be Our Guest".
"This is a great choice for the park," explained Mr. Anderson,
"It's perfect for families, those who are young and old, has
wonderful music with a great story and message."
The production will be directed by David Kaye, Head of Acting and
Directing at the University of New Hampshire's department of Theatre
and Dance, and feature a full cast of 25. David Kaye directed Prescott
Park Arts Festival's 2007 production of The Sound of Music.
"It was a joy to direct The Sound of Music for Prescott Park
last summer," said David Kaye. "Last year's cast was thrilled
to perform for those huge crowds. I'm quite sure this summer will
be just as amazing," Kaye added.
Auditions for Disney's Beauty and the Beast will be held Saturday,
March 1. Those wishing to audition should visit the Prescott Park
Arts Festival website, www.prescottpark.org, for more information.
Prescott Park is currently accepting audition requests online.
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About Prescott Park Arts Festival
Established in 1974, the Prescott Park Arts Festival is entering
its thirty-forth year of serving the seacoast area and its visitors
with inspiring theatre, music, dance, food festivals, and art on
3.5 waterfront acres in vibrant downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
The Festival has always sought to provide quality family entertainment,
promote artistic excellence in the community and consistently present
quality presentations of both entertainment and educational events.
The Arts Festival has a rich history of successfully presenting
a range of arts and cultural events --over 9,000 events to date
-- with no fixed admission. For more information, visit www.prescottpark.org
or call (603) 436-2848.
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